White Walls and Jelly Babies
by Broken Toys
Summary: "Are you the new resident?" The first words she hears as she steps inside are from a lanky man with mussed hair looking like it had never been touched by a comb. AU.


_"Are you the new resident?"_ The first words she hears as she steps inside are from a lanky man with mussed hair looking like it had never been touched by a comb. AU _._

* * *

Pairing: Ten/Rose

White Walls and Jelly Babies

Lugging her bright pink suitcase up the stairs, Rose turns to wave at her mother who is sobbing like she's never left home before. A lush garden decorates the front of Lowe House, complete with a fountain of a baby angel spitting out chlorine filled water. From the outside, it looks like a 1920s apartment building with off-white plaster and weird blue tinted windows. All the curtains are drawn shut but one and she catches a quick glance of facial features before it disappears. Rolling her eyes, she pushes the bright white doors open (they should've repainted the entire building while they were at it) and white instantly floods her eyes. Everything here is white and too bright. It is a color too easy to taint, reminding her of purity and innocence, words that described anything but her. It hurts her eyes and she averts them, suitcase standing out like a sore thumb. Walking up to the receptionist, she is about to ask where her room is when another voice cuts in before her.

"Are you the new resident?" Turning, Rose sees a tall, skinny man with messy brown hair that still seemed to look stylish. His eyes are wide and curious, chest moving up and down quickly under a pinstriped suit and a long brown coat as if he'd just run down five flights of stairs just to say hello. Rose says nothing, turning back to the receptionist. She isn't here to make friends. This was only a temporary residence before she could move to a better place.

"Your name, please?" The receptionist smiles at her despite seeing her blatantly ignoring the man in the suit who is now making his way down the stairs.

"Rose Tyler," She replies choosing not to look at the person who is now invading her personal space.

"Rose. I like that name, Rose Tyler. Slides right off the tongue, doesn't it? Rose Tyler," He says thoughtfully while repeating her name again and again, leaning against the counter.

"Room 402, Miss Tyler. Unfortunately, there are no elevators here and so you'll need to walk up." Thanking her, Rose is about to grab her suitcase when it is tucked under a brown clad arm.

"The Doctor," He says smiling at her. "But you may call me _Doctor_ , without the _The_. Sounds a bit pretentious if it's _The_ Doctor, don't you think?" Chattering away, he doesn't allow Rose to fit a single word in as he walks up the stairs with her suitcase effortlessly. He talks about the other residents and Rose can only grasp a few names like Donna and Jack. Mind wandering, Rose dreams of being anywhere but here.

"Here we are! Room 402, Miss Rose," Grinning brightly, he swings the door open- _white, again, like the corridors and doors everything else in this stupid place_ \- to a room that looks too cold and too empty. He is going off again, mouth moving but Rose doesn't hear him.

"-suits you." Snapping out of her daydream, Rose turns to look at him.

"Sorry?" She asks, feeling slightly bad about not listening, though he seems like the type who would talk whether or not people would listen.

"Pink. Though not a color I'm keen on, it suits you," The Doctor repeats grinning that stupid grin that seems to brighten an entire room.

"Thanks, I s'pose." Wheeling her suitcase inside, she turns back to see him still standing in the doorway.

"Do you need something?" Rose asks, sitting on the bed. The mattress is too flat for her liking; already missing her bed at home with the Barbie pink covers she's had since primary school. She feels slightly tired from walking all the way up to the fourth floor and wants to do nothing more than curl up in bed and dream her life away.

"Yes- no, well, not really, but since you're new here and I've been here a while, maybe you'd like me to show you around?" His big brown eyes are looking anywhere but directly at her, a hand coming up to tug at his ear as he shifts around on his feet. Rose almost wants to say yes- _almost_ , but reminds herself that since she's going to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible it was best not to get too close to anyone.

"No, thanks." Seeing his once bright face fall in disappointment, Rose quickly makes up an excuse of how she is too tired and would rather get used to her room first before looking around. Perking up, he accepts her answer and disappears from the doorway but not before giving her another smile. Waiting until she can no longer hear his scruffy red sneakers, Rose stands up- a bit too quickly, head swimming- and closes the door. There are no locks here, not even in her bathroom. Kneeling down, she begins to unpack. In one pile lays her clothes, in the other several books and her makeup. Everything else wasn't on the list and therefore she wasn't allowed to take them. Her mother had gone through her luggage the morning of, taking her high heeled shoes, earrings, picture frames, razors, matches, lighters, cigarettes, pens- Rose had begged then, for just one stupid pen or any writing utensil and her mother had cried with her, saying she wanted to but couldn't. She wasn't suicidal, for God's sake, but rules were rules and Rose was left with the most basic of necessities.

Going to the window, she looks for her mother's car despite knowing it wouldn't be there. A few weeks, maybe a month or two at most and she would be out of here. A knock is heard at the door before a handsome face pops in.

"Jack Harkness, just here to remind you that doors are supposed to be kept open until private time," He says winking at her. Private time? _Private time?_ She wasn't in a children's home and yet was being treated as one.

"Sorry," Rose says irritation rising but instead plays the part of a clueless and innocent blonde. "I didn't know."

"It's alright, I'll let it pass this time, beautiful," He says grinning at her. Dazed at how handsome he is, she finds she rather likes his American accent.

"By the way, we're all gathering in the common room in a few minutes. You're welcome to join us and meet the other residents."

"Okay," Rose says, charmed by him. She knows lots of men like him- fun to flirt with but nothing more. Hanging up her clothes, she checks her makeup before walking out.

"Rose Tyler!" Jumping, she clutches her chest in shock as the Doctor- _what kind of a name is that_ \- grins at her, hands in his trouser pockets and leaning against the wall. "Off to the common room, are we?"

"Yeah," She answers trying to calm her beating heart (from surprise, not him) and is about to walk away before realizing she doesn't know where it is.

"Well, Allons-y then!" The Doctor cries grabbing her hand before she can protest and pulls her down the hall.

The common room is littered with a few people sitting around, the TV turned on to cartoons. There are several couches, a table, and cupboards filled with paper, crayons, and books. Jack waves at her from his spot on the couch, the Doctor rolling his eyes and whispering in Rose's ear not to be charmed by him because he was not only a womanizer but also a _man-eater_ , shuddering slightly while Rose tries not to giggle.

"Who's this, then?" A redheaded woman calls loudly from beside Jack. The Doctor nudges her gently forward and Rose drops his hand quickly, telling herself she misses the warmth of human contact and not him specifically.

"Rose Tyler," She says holding out her hand to the ginger haired woman.

"Donna Noble. Look at you! Skinny as a rat, just like the Doctor, aren't ya?" Donna is loud and vivacious, her cheerfulness rubbing off on Rose as she smiles slightly, the first real smile in a long time and the first since she's been here. And then Jack is pulling her down beside him on the couch, the Doctor protesting loudly and sandwiching himself between Rose and Donna on her other side and chatter and laughter fills Rose's ears. Maybe, she thinks, this isn't so bad.

As they are all talking on the couch, a blonde girl waltzes in who calls the Doctor 'dad' and he calls her his daughter, though Rose knows it is impossible as she is too old and the Doctor too young. Jenny, she is called, one of the youngest residents there and she is beautiful, Rose thinks. The Doctor had taken her under his wing when she first came and Rose wonders how long he has been here.

"Am I your daughter too, then?" Rose asks with a grin and the Doctor looks horrified. "No! Never!" He says while Jenny shrieks with laughter, laying her head down on Rose's lap while she runs her fingers through her beautiful blonde locks. Jenny's eyes close, smiling as she looks up at Rose and calls her 'mom', first as a joke but when Rose rolls her eyes and replies playfully back 'yes?' her smile becomes infinitely brighter.

A bell rings faintly from a few floors down and most of the residents begin to get up.

"Dinnertime!" Jack calls out loudly down the hall to anyone who hadn't joined in the common room and they make their way down the stairs to the cafeteria. Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Rose is transported back to grade school where they were served unappetizing food cooked in bulk. Food is served "family-style" here, bowls and plates of food placed in the middle before being passed around. Rose sits down in a chair with an empty plate, the Doctor sitting on her other side.

"Stuck like glue, are you?" She asks, talking to him first for the first time. When he looks at her in confusion, she grins. "You've been sticking to me since I got here, _Doctor_." His ears are turning red as he splutters out something about how she was new and how it was _common courtesy_ for older residents to show around the new ones and not because he was _interested_ in her, no, far from it.

"What kind of a name is the Doctor anyway?" Rose asks separating her peas from her potatoes.

"What's wrong with the Doctor?" He asks, pretending to be offended. "It's a great name!" As he rambles on, Rose is cutting up her peas into halves then fourths, and before she can cut them up any smaller without turning it into mush the Doctor is placing a gentle hand on hers and smiling brightly at her. Rose is about to make up an excuse for what she was doing when the Doctor beats her to it

"Don't like peas?" He asks, stabbing one from Rose's plate and popping it into his mouth. "I like them." A small smile graces Rose's face as she says she prefers carrots, the Doctor exclaiming in reply "I have those!" and pushes his plate over. Soon the Doctor is eating all the peas on Rose's plate and she is nibbling on a bit of carrot from the Doctor's, talking and giggling together like old friends.

Afterwards, Rose is pulled aside by Jack and handed a small cup of liquid, one Rose knows far too well.

"I'm glad you ate a bit, but it still isn't near enough," He says smiling at her. There is no trace of the disappointment Rose is so used to and she feels slightly better, and not wanting to let him down when she is doing so well she drinks all of the Ensure without making a fuss. The Doctor is lingering around the entrance, peeking in every now and then to see if Rose is coming and beams when she finally does.

"What great adventure are we off to now?" He asks, offering Rose his arm and she accepts it, trying not to think about the taste in her mouth and the calories being absorbed.

"To the common room!" She says, and the Doctor grins that _lovely_ smile at her before shouting 'Allons-y!' once more, and the two are running.

* * *

The sound of Rose's alarm goes off and she groans, reaching over to turn it off. Opening her eyes to an unfamiliar room, she takes in the too-flat pillow and bumpy mattress and scratchy blanket and _stupid white walls_ and feels tears welling up in her eyes.

"Rose Tyler!" A familiar voice crows and she quickly blinks away tears, sitting up in her bed. The Doctor is leaning against her doorway, mouth quirked up and dressed in the same suit and coat as yesterday.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asks, standing up slowly as these days she feels dizzier than usual.

"Not early, nope! I'm not human after all," He chuckles awkwardly as Rose misses the way his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, taking in her naked legs. "Anyway, I'll leave you to get dressed and meet you in the common room!" Voice coming out as only a squeak in the end, Rose turns to look at him in concern but he is already gone. Tugging on his ear, the Doctor wills his face to cool down before Rose comes and goes to the empty common room to wait for her.

Closing the door for a few minutes to get dressed, Rose makes her bed (a requirement) and washes up before leaving her room to find her Doctor. Giggling to herself, Rose finds she rather likes calling him _her Doctor._ In a better mood since waking up, she finds him coloring at a table in the common room.

"What's that?" Sitting across from him, her eyes focus on the blue box the Doctor is drawing. "A police box?"

"It's my spaceship," The Doctor says looking up to grin at her before going back to coloring. "Bigger on the inside it is, with hundreds of rooms!"

"Hmm," Rose hums softly watching him color. "That so? A strange spaceship for a strange alien." The Doctor's head shoots up to look at her. "Alien? Yes, yes, to you I suppose I would be an alien," He says thoughtfully. Rose giggles, grinning at him. "What kind of alien are you, then? A Martian?" The Doctor looks offended, shaking his head.

"Of course not! You wouldn't talk to me if I looked like a Gandoran. I'm a Time Lord," He says puffing his chest out proudly. Instead of bursting into laughter like the rest of the people he tells, Rose only picks up an orange crayon and begins to color in the sky.

"A Time Lord," She repeats softly. "Stuck here with me." A warm hand covers hers, their eyes meeting.

"It's not so bad, being stuck here. Especially with you," The Doctor replies eyes crinkling as he smiles. As Rose begins to fill in a bright orange colored sky (because blue will clash with blue she says) the Doctor regales her with stories of his travels through time and the stars.

They are instantly snapped out of their tranquil environment by a loud scream, however, as Donna storms through the halls screaming _fuck you_ to a staff member who is calmly trailing after her.

"Donna-" The Doctor shakes his head at her and Rose closes her mouth. Donna is screaming obscenities, throwing chairs and demanding them to _let her the fuck out, they aren't allowed to keep her here this isn't fair this isn't humane she should be able to leave-_ when Jack enters the room, breathing heavily from running. Donna immediately quiets down and bursts into tears, running into Jack's arms who whispers into her ear while rubbing her back comfortingly. The familiar feeling of despair begins to emerge and suddenly she isn't coloring with the Doctor anymore. He calls for her as her slow steps breaks into a run, and she's running and running and running but there's no where she can go because she's _stuck here_ , stuck here like her Doctor on this God forsaken earth. Rose is crying and yanking uselessly at the door, the door to her freedom and colors and stars before sinking to her knees. She can see red converse out of the corner of her blurry eyes before she is being scooped up and into the arms of her Doctor, who is much stronger than what he looks to be (and not because she is all skin and bones) and he is murmuring into her ear how he will show her the stars and the universe one day, when she is well and can break out of this prison of white walls.

Sitting numbly on the couch back in the common room, Rose is tucked under the Doctor's arm with Jenny's head back on her lap. There are colors and shapes moving on the TV but Rose doesn't process it, mind a million miles away. Jenny is humming softly, not seeming to mind Rose's bony thighs and the Doctor's thumb is rubbing soft circles on her shoulder. Donna is back to her loud self, playing cards with Jack and another staff member named Ianto who doesn't seem to mind Jack's advances.

Soon it is breakfast and Rose hates how there are three required meals a day. She watches as Jenny piles her plate high, not seeming to care about the calories or the fat dripping off the bacon or how the butter would absorb into her skin if she touches it. The Doctor is hogging the bananas and Donna crams a cream cheese bagel into her mouth.

"Banana, Rose?" The Doctor holds out the yellow fruit. She takes it, peeling it carefully and cutting it in half and then one half into 30 discs before cutting the banana circles into halves, fourths, and eighths before eating each tiny bite carefully, chewing ten times before allowing herself to swallow. If anyone noticed, they don't say anything though Jack pulls her aside once more afterwards and hands her another cup of Ensure.

"If you don't want to drink it, you have to eat more," He says when Rose protests. "If you don't, we'll have to fill your plate for you and you'll have to eat all of it." Rose notices that he doesn't say _I_ when it comes to staff duties, making sure she knew it was his duty and not because he wants to. Rose is about to throw a tantrum when she sees the Doctor waiting for her like a lost puppy by the entrance and she takes it, imagining instead it is an alien smoothie from another planet and downs it. Jack is smiling that gorgeous smile at her but all she can think about is her Doctor beaming at her and waiting for her to take his hand.

"Jelly baby?" Holding out a plastic bag filled with colorful sweets, Rose contemplates it for three and a half seconds before taking one. The Doctor grins, popping an orange one into his mouth. She wonders where he gets them, considering the fact they aren't allowed to leave but brushes the thought away. She nibbles at it, the sugary treat making her fingers sticky as it slowly melts from the heat of her hand.

The days pass by faster than usual, Rose falling in love with all of them. It feels like home, more so than when she was at that small apartment with her mother crying and begging for her to _just eat something you're killing yourself_ and determines that it isn't so bad being stuck here like her Time Lord alien. She is eating more, no longer being forced to stay after to drink Ensure in order to up her calorie intake. Rose is weighed twice a week in a hospital gown with no pockets. There are no scales here or full length mirrors but Rose knows she is gaining weight, her body becoming softer and bones jutting out less and less. For the first time, she thinks maybe it isn't so bad to gain a bit more weight as the Doctor's hugs are tighter and touches more firmer the healthier she is. Rose is no longer as tired as before, able to climb more than one flight of stairs without tiring herself out.

"Are those the only clothes you have?" Rose asks one day while they're playing cards. He is always in the same pinstriped suit and long brown coat, which he says is a gift from Janis Joplin.

"Of course not! I have another suit, the exact same as this one," The Doctor exclaims. "How else would I do laundry?" Rose smiles and shakes her head. "How long have you been here?" She asks, curious. She knows Jenny has been here a year and a half, Donna nearly two.

"Hmm, too long," The Doctor says evading the question easily. "Don't you want to leave?" Rose persists, wanting to know more about him other than his love for the stars and time and space.

"Of course I do." He is focused on his hand of cards, the other sneaking into his pocket and pulling out a red jelly baby. Rose is looking at him expectantly and he knows she wants him to talk more like he usually does.

"But sometimes," The Doctor finally continues, pausing to chew on the jelly baby. "It's lonelier being free. I rather like being stuck here with you, Rose Tyler," handing her a green jelly baby. Rose's heart skips a beat as she smiles back, thinking if they were both free he wouldn't be lonely.

As she nibbles on a bit of toast during breakfast, Rose is suddenly hit with the realization that if she is well then she'll have to leave Lowe House. Eventually she'll have to leave Donna and Jack and Jenny and Ianto and the Doctor behind, and she remembers why she didn't want to make any friends here. Feeling sick to her stomach, Rose places the dry piece of bread down and excuses herself from the table. Jack and the Doctor are looking at her in concern, Rose making sure she is out of sight before running to the toilet and sticking a finger down her throat. The small bit of breakfast comes back up and Rose quickly flushes, rinsing her mouth and splashing cold water on her face to reduce the swelling. Smiling brightly at herself in the mirror, she pats her face dry before waltzing out to meet her Doctor.

The change is gradual but doesn't go unnoticed. Her strange food habits are back and the scales begin to drop- slowly, but at her weight even a pound is cause for alarm. Jack is watching her more and more carefully and she is once more being held after meals to drink Ensure even though she says she eats her meals properly. The Doctor has gone back to holding her like a fragile China doll as if she'd break if he touched her any harder. Jenny no longer lies on her lap, worry reflecting in her eyes.

"Honestly, you need to eat more! Goodness, you're half the size of the Doctor and he's a stick already!" Donna says, gently rubbing her back. She can feel Rose's spinal cord beneath her fingers but says no more, knowing this is not her fight.

"I am eating," Rose assures everyone although the only food she keeps down is the jelly babies the Doctor keeps in his pocket. Soon, she isn't even allowed to go the bathroom by herself, a female attendant waiting outside the stall while Rose screams at how this is an invasion of privacy. She is forced to keep talking while she goes the restroom and while she showers to make sure she isn't secretly vomiting and Rose is furious. All she wants is to stay here with her Doctor and daughter and Donna and Jack, was that so wrong?

One night, after a particularly bad dinner with Rose screaming at Jack about how _one can of Ensure is way more calories than required_ and storming out in tears, the Doctor quietly follows her to her room and listens to her crying into her pillow. She is no longer allowed to have her door shut at all, even during private time and so the Doctor occasionally sits outside her door at night when he can't sleep and listens to her move around in bed. When there is too long a gap without a sound, he finds himself leaning over her in bed and listening closely for her to take a breath, to make sure she is alive.

"Rose?" He calls out softly, making sure she knows he is there before entering her room. She doesn't look up at him, pale skinny limbs sprawled over the white covers and washing her out. She looks like a skeleton and the Doctor's heart twists.

"You were doing so well before, what happened?" The bed creaks as he sits down, Rose moving to lay her head in his lap. Brown roots are beginning to show after not being dyed in a while, the Doctor running his fingers through her hair.

"I don't want to leave," She whispers. "I want to stay." The Doctor's eyes soften at her confession, smiling sadly.

"Rose Tyler, you know you don't belong here. You're going to get well and move out and be beautiful and fantastic, with an apartment filled with colors and everything sharp." And although there are still tears in her eyes, she smiles at him and laughs.

"Pink walls," She says closing her eyes. "I won't ever have anything white in my apartment."

"No," The Doctor agrees. "Too common, white. Doesn't suit you, Rose Tyler." With a smile on her face she describes her dream apartment with her eyes closed, of a ceiling of purple and blue and silver and glow in the dark stars so she can literally fall asleep under the stars. The Doctor listens, imagining him and her together in that apartment- a bit domestic, but if it was with Rose he doesn't mind. When she is too tired to talk anymore, he chimes in with his own dreams of traveling the world with her in a car painted TARDIS blue, and they would stay in hotels and look at the stars from all around the Earth- because if he couldn't show her the universe, he would show her the world. Rose falls asleep to his voice and dreams of traveling amongst the stars.

* * *

"Something good happen?" Jack winks at her like her tantrum yesterday never happened. Rose flushes bright red along with the Doctor who tugs at his ear in embarrassment. Jack had poked his head in the night before to see if Rose was all right when he catches sight of the two asleep, the Doctor with his legs dangling over the bed and Rose's head on his chest.

"Oh, stop it," Donna says rolling her eyes at him. It is a good day today and they are all in high spirits, even Jenny who is wearing a short sleeve shirt for the first time since Rose has been there and reveals pale pink and white scars. Slowly and surely, Rose is determined to get better in order to get closer to her dream of a pink apartment with a TARDIS blue sedan parked outside.

It is a rainy Wednesday afternoon when Rose and the Doctor share their first kiss. They are sitting on the red couch in front of the TV, the common room unusually quiet for the first time in a long time, as the residents prefer to stay in bed. Lying on the couch, Rose is watching the shapes move around on the TV while the Doctor builds a blanket fort around them. She doesn't even notice when he sits down in front of her, sending a quick glance her way before leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to her mouth. It is quick, too quick for Rose to even close her eyes and savor the moment when he pulls back and apologizes, ears red. After getting over her surprise she tugs him back by his lapels for another kiss, and they stay there until Jack barrels in suggestively asking what they were doing under the covers. Rose immediately lets go and the Doctor flails his way out from under the blanket, hair messier than usual and face red. Rose stays under the fort until she feels her face cool down, listening to the Doctor and Jack's muffled conversation with the taste of jelly babies on her lips.

Jenny immediately knows, the dynamic between them changing. They are officially her mom and dad she crows, jumping around the common room with Donna. Rose is beginning to feel better and better, taking proper bites of food rather than cutting them into bits and pieces. Jack surprises her with a box of hair dye, saying she deserves it and Rose hugs him in delight despite the Doctor's pout. While Donna fixes her roots, they talk about her future and dreams. Donna, important, lovely Donna tells Rose of her dream to be a researcher.

"When I finally get out I'm going to go back to school," She says tugging off her dye-stained gloves. "Once I get over my manic depression, that is," And Rose forces herself to laugh along with her as Donna cackles.

"You'll be fantastic, Donna," Rose assures looking at her. "You are anything but ordinary, Donna Noble. You're going to be one of the most important people in the world."

"Me? Unimportant, boring me?" The redhead chuckles. "You're so sweet. But I'm just a nobody."

"Everyone is a nobody to someone," Rose said firmly. "But Donna, you are somebody to me." Looking at Rose, Donna smiles and shakes her head. "Let's get that dye out of your hair before you lose it, yeah?"

It's a Saturday night when the Doctor quietly sneaks onto her floor, gently rousing her from sleep.

"What're you doing here?" Rose mumbles sleepily, sitting up. The Doctor presses a finger to his lips and holds out his hand, Rose instinctively taking it. Fingers intertwining naturally, they tiptoe past the closed doors to the top of the staircase. The Doctor climbs up the ladder and with a blue light-up screwdriver unscrews the door and motions for her to follow.

"Oh," Rose breathes as she finds herself on the roof. The air here is free from light pollution and it looks like someone has splattered a million specks of paint across the sky. The Doctor takes off his coat and lays it on the roof, laying down on it with Rose. In the cold night air he points out the constellations to her, hand covering hers and tracing figures in the sky. She has never felt this way before, and as she silences his science lesson with a kiss she is sure this is love. Before the sun rises and the first morning check, Rose wakes up to soft kisses and the Doctor whispering to her that they've got to sneak back into bed. As she slips under the covers, she feels his lips press against her ear and he murmurs a promise to her as she fades from consciousness.

* * *

It is a cold, snowy Thursday when it is announced that Jenny is well enough to leave. It seemed as if the fallen leaves and hues of orange and red had been replaced with white overnight. At first, there were cheers and shrieks of happiness before the realization began to settle and they all cried together. Jenny, beautiful, lovely Jenny was _leaving_. It was a good thing, of course, that she was well, but a small part of Rose selfishly wanted her to stay. They had a celebration Friday, with Rose eating a small sliver of cake _with frosting_ to everyone's delight. Jenny asks to stay in Rose's room her last night there and Jack gives in, Jenny choosing to share her bed rather than drag in another one.

"Thank you," She whispers into Rose's ear while hugging her. "For everything. Especially for being my mom," And they both giggle. It did feel as if Jenny was her daughter and Rose loved her. She didn't want to let her go back into the world. Rather than seeing Lowe House like a prison, it seemed more like a sanctuary now. They were all in the safe bubble until the announcement, and Rose is hit with the realization that they couldn't stay there forever. Jenny, with her her suicide attempts, abusive mother, abandoned father, and repeated foster homes was being released back into the world.

"Who's going to take care of you?" Rose asks, voice breaking as she hopes she doesn't say her mother.

"My aunt," She says to Rose's relief. "She's the one who checked me in here. I can't believe she's taking me back after I pushed her away," Jenny begins to cry. Rose holds her and tells her that _of course she'd take you back, she loves you just like I do_ until she begins to drift off to sleep.

The day of the departure, Rose gives Jenny her worn and loved copy of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ and kisses her goodbye. The Doctor hugs her tightly and drops a plastic bag of jelly babies in her hand, making Jenny laugh through her tears since she _is leaving and I can buy jelly babies by myself, dad_ and smiles despite looking like he was going to cry. Jack picks her up and twirls her around, kissing her goodbye and Donna makes her promise to call and write and email and stay in contact. With a final wave, Jenny leaves their walls of white and disappears into a world of color.

That night, the Doctor seems to sense that Rose needs him and sneaks into her bed. He lets her cry into his t-shirt covered chest (the first time she sees him without that suit) and holds her all night long. When she wakes up, it is unfortunately to her alarm and not to her Doctor. After almost five months, Rose is nearly well enough to leave but according to Jack not quite as he wants to keep an eye on her for a while longer. After Jenny, her family feels a little bit smaller and a little bit emptier but it is still family. And then, her brilliant doctor announces that he is leaving as well.

At first, Rose feels a bit betrayed but shoves the ugly feeling away and smiles, hugging him. According to Jack, he was always welcome to leave but stayed, making Rose wonder if he no longer wanted to be with her. But he assures he that he will stay in contact and that she _must_ find him when she finally leaves, because he is going to work on their dream of a pink apartment with glow in the dark stars and a TARDIS blue sedan. They couldn't start their future in a place that only allowed white walls, he tells her with a wink. She is the only one he tells the day before, as he would prefer a quiet departure as opposed to Jenny. Jack is the only one who knows before her and he stays quiet, instead hugging the Doctor despite his protests before telling them he wouldn't check on them that night. Both blushing, Rose hits him playfully as the Doctor mutters something about private affairs. They hold hands for the entire day even though she can see the Doctor struggling to eat with his left hand.

Later, he sneaks into her bed- no longer an unusual occurrence, but they both sensed that night was different. With a soft whisper she tells him to shut the door, making sure he knows that she wants this. Nervously, this is only her second time to unclothe and offer herself to another male. The first and most traumatic time, she was 16 and dating Jimmy Stone. Back then, she was thicker and fuller, not ugly or unhealthy in any way but had what her mother called 'baby fat'. Desperate for him to look her way and _her way only_ , she was prepared to give him everything. As she was undressing, however, he had raked his eyes down her figure, tilted his head and raised an eyebrow and asked "Don't you need to lose a little weight?" Rose, like any other teenager had insecurities and he had pointed out her biggest one. Instead of throwing back a witty response _like she'd imagined so many times, reliving that moment_ , she had grabbed her clothes and bolted. She had run home, the tears not flowing until all her breakfast and lunch was in the toilet, stomach empty. From then on, she could barely look at her own body much less let anyone else.

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asks her, because the last thing he wants is to force her and Rose nods. She had begged Jack for a razor, using her favorite strawberry scented body wash and making sure she was smooth all over. She lets him undress her because she knows she will lose her nerve if she does it herself, and he presses kisses all over her soft skin. His fingers trail over each curve of her body and he whispers _how beautiful and perfect and lovely_ she is into her ear, making her eyes burn. Rose tugs off his shirt and is thankful he didn't wear the suit tonight, kissing his freckles and neck and shoulders. He is touching her softly, fingertips trembling as if afraid she will break under his touch. Rose presses herself up against him firmly, craving his touch. He explores her body, all the while whispering sweet nothings into her ear as his lips quirk up when he touches smooth skin in surprise. She is flushed red and her soft whimpers makes him groan, straining against his briefs. They have to be quiet, the walls thin and if Jack was listening outside the door the Doctor would rather he _not_ hear Rose's lovely moans.

"You must find me," He makes her promise and she does, of course she does, before giving her all to him. They both whisper promises to each other between kisses, limbs tangled together beneath the covers as the room is lit only by the soft glow of the moon. Rose falls asleep with her head on his chest, listening to his slowing heartbeat.

When Rose wakes up, she is alone and dressed in fresh clothes. Touching her inner thighs, she realizes the Doctor has wiped her clean and quickly gets out of bed before she can feel embarrassment. For a second she panics when she realizes they hadn't used a condom, but then again she hasn't had her period for nearly two years. Taking a quick shower, she can still feel his lips on her skin and the warmth of his hands. Putting on her cutest red dress and black flats, she mentally prepares herself to send away her Doctor. As she walks down the stairs, he sees her and beams.

"Beautiful," He breathes before kissing her. She can taste jelly babies on his lips and smiles against his mouth. The Doctor has said his personal goodbyes to everyone already, leaving Rose for last. Pulling away, Rose fixes his tie and smooths the wrinkles in his suit.

"Don't forget our promise," The Doctor says not wanting to move his hands from around her waist. But he must, because their future couldn't start with them both here. He promises to call as soon as he gets a phone, Jack giving him his number and the number of Lowe House since cellphones aren't allowed. Rose is beginning to cry although she had promised herself not to, fisting his jacket between her fingers.

"I-I love you," She whispers for the first time. The Doctor's lips quirk up as he replies, "Quite right, too," before Rose hits him and makes him say it back. She finally lets go and he takes off the coat that Janis Joplin gave him and wraps it around her. It's his favorite coat and Rose is about to protest when he kisses her again, the words _I love you_ ghosting over her lips and then he is grabbing his TARDIS blue colored suitcase and strolling out the door. Rose watches him from the entrance, laughing through her tears when he turns every few steps to wave at her and shouting _"Allons-y!"_ until he disappears into the waiting cab and is off to another adventure without her.

True to his word, Lowe House gets a call _because he would rather not Jack pick up and try to initiate phone sex_ four days after her Doctor leaves, announcing his excitement over getting a new phone and _oh_ how technology has improved! Rose is listening to him talk about his new apartment and new job as a doctor- not the medical kind, but a doctor nonetheless. He calls everyday, sometimes multiple just to listen to her voice. Rose tells him about how she is getting better and should be out soon, eating the bags of jelly babies he has left in the pockets of his coat while listening to him continue toward their dream of a pink apartment.

Days pass, then weeks, and then suddenly two months pass and Rose is no closer to getting out. She screams at Jack and the other attendants, mood plummeting whenever the Doctor doesn't call since he's busy with his new job and his life is continuing without her and _she is getting left behind in this stupid, white-walled prison._ Jenny calls occasionally, telling her that she's been to the Doctor's apartment and assures her there are no signs of another woman. As the days pass by slower than ever without her Doctor, he begins to call less. Rose tells herself that he is busy, of course he is, he has things to do unlike her who has nothing else to do than get better and yet _she still couldn't seem to do that either_.

Her family has dwindled down to Jack, Donna, and Ianto, and it feels lonelier than ever. Jack is afraid she is going to go back to her bad eating habits, but Rose refuses to go down that road. Instead, she focuses on staying better so she can finally meet her Doctor outside of these white walls.

One day, long after the snow had melted and the flowers are beginning to bloom again Jack approaches her with good news. She is sitting by the telephone, fingers idly tracing the Doctor's phone number on a thin strip of paper (even though she had long memorized it) and wearing his coat. She has eaten all the bags of jelly babies hidden in his coat (which was quite a lot) except one, which she is saving for them to eat together. And as Jack comes up to her, he can't keep the smile off his face and Rose instantly knows the good news. _She was finally going home_. When the Doctor calls, Rose is screaming into the receiver and by the sound of her voice he knows he is finally going to see her again. They stay on the phone for hours afterward even though he still has work to do and has to get up early the next day- until Donna wrestles the phone from Rose's fingers and tells her to get her arse to packing.

While she waits for her mother to pull up, Rose says her final goodbyes to the residents and staff. Promising Jack she would visit and call (his cellphone and not Lowe House like the Doctor), she shares a long and bone crushing hug with Donna who tells her to go be amazing, Rose Tyler, for the both of them. Her mother's car pulls up and out steps her mom, turning to look at her in wide-eyed amazement before bursting into tears. Rose fingers the strip of paper with the Doctor's number before grabbing her bright pink suitcase, running towards her mother. Jackie is squealing and crying at how _gorgeous_ her daughter looks now, all pink and yellow and healthy and _glowing_. Rose throws herself into her mother's arms, crying and apologizing about how horrible she was before and Jackie can only rock her only daughter back and forth in her arms. Rose is opening the trunk to place her suitcase inside when Jackie tells her that she's not coming home with her. Mouth dropping, Rose is about to demand why when a TARDIS blue sedan pulls up and Rose feels like she is about to faint. Heart pounding, she holds her breath in anticipation as she sees red converse, then blue trousers, and finally her eyes meet warm brown ones. He looks different yet still the same, Rose thinks, his sideburns cut shorter and _that hair_. She wants to run her fingers through it, missing the locks beneath her hands when her mother gently pushes her forward.

"Well, Rose Tyler, aren't you glad to see me?" He cocks his head, grinning and holding out his arms. With a strangled cry Rose is running towards him, blonde hair flying in the wind as she launches herself at him and he wraps his arms around her and twirls her around. Jackie sighs and crosses her arms, grumbling to herself as Rose seems happier to see him rather than her, even though she's been gone far longer. As she buries her nose into his shoulder and smells his cologne, she can hear the Doctor giggling and Jack and Donna's excited shouts.

"Kept my coat, did you?" The Doctor beams.

"It's from Janis Joplin, after all," Rose replies and they share a smile. As the Doctor closes the trunk of the car with Rose's suitcase in the back, she hands her mother the strip of paper with the Doctor's phone number since she doesn't need it anymore.

"I'll call you properly later, yeah?" And then Jackie lets her daughter go. She hadn't been too keen on the Doctor at first, his name already cause for suspicion. He was also a patient at the Lowe House Residential Treatment Center, suffering from grandiose delusions although he assures her he could tell reality apart from his dreams. As he talks about her daughter and how absolutely brilliant and perfect and beautiful she was, Jackie decides he isn't so bad.

Driving to their new apartment, the Doctor holds her hand the entire time. Thumb stroking the back of her hand, Rose watches as flashes of bright lights and colors breeze past her window. Finally, they were both free. Before showing her the world, however, he was going to reveal the pink apartment she'd dreamed of with not a white wall in sight.

"How long are you going to stay with me?" He asks her, stealing a quick glance before looking back to the road. Rose smiles at him, feeding him a jelly baby from her pocket as his grip on her hand tightens.

"Forever," She promises.


End file.
